Former Interim President of Israel Avraham Burg Speaks Out on Netanyahu’s Killing Spree

Burg asserts that Israel's actions, particularly in recent conflicts, are not guided by a clear, overarching strategy but rather by a 'compilation of many tactics' that sometimes 'assemble into a de facto strategy.' This leads to reactive, uncoordinated military actions without defined end goals.

Burg states, 'The same strategy that Israel has for years, no strategy. In Israel, in many many cases, the compilation of many tactics sometimes assemble into a de facto uh strategy, but otherwise nothing.'

Unlike Western thinking that often seeks win-win scenarios, Burg argues that Israeli psychology, particularly among the political echelon, operates on a 'zero-sum game' principle. This means that if an adversary benefits, it is perceived as a loss for Israel, leading to a desire for the enemy's complete defeat, humiliation, or cancellation.

Burg explains, 'From the Israeli point of view in many many cases philosophically no psychologically we do not live in a win-win situation. We live in a zero sum game. If there is a competition... that ends up that Tucker and of profits, something is wrong with me. I want to win alone. I want you to be dead. I want to humiliate you. I want you I want to cancel you.'

Burg observes that as Israel has become objectively more powerful, it has simultaneously felt more threatened. This paradox stems from a deep-seated 'classic Jewish paranoia' and a conservative worldview that divides the world into 'children of light' and 'offsprings of darkness,' fostering a constant sense of existential danger.

Tucker notes, 'as Israel has become more objectively powerful, it has felt more threatened, more endangered.' Burg confirms, 'Yep. Yep. Yep.' He later attributes this to 'classic Jewish paranoia' and a '90s neocon' worldview.

Israel has become an 'island' disconnected from both its historical 'Western hinterland' (Europe) and the surrounding Middle Eastern region. This self-imposed isolation is due to a refusal to integrate regionally and a loss of connection to Western values, leading to a lack of a 'vocabulary or state of mind to talk peace.'

Burg states, 'We are kind of a standalone island totally disconnected from the region refusing to get connected... we lost our western hintterland and we never seeded enough in order to grow to be part of the local FA. So we are isolated.'

Burg identifies October 7th as the 'first round of the full-scale religious war' between Jewish and Muslim fundamentalism. He views the current conflict with Iran as the 'first religious fundamentalist war world war,' involving Jewish, Christian, and Muslim fundamentalism, signifying a dangerous escalation from a political to a spiritual conflict.

Burg states, 'October 7th was the first round of the full-scale religious war. Jewish fundamentalism at the Israeli government and Muslim fundamentalism at the Hamas government.' He adds, 'The war in Iran now from my point of view is the first religious fundamentalist war world war. Jewish fundamentalism, Christian fundamentalism, and Jewish fundamentalism at the battle at the battlefield.'

While acknowledging Netanyahu's intellect and vision, Burg argues that in recent years, the Prime Minister's political behavior has been dictated by 'political survival instinct' rather than his underlying ideology or wisdom. This prioritization of personal survival over principle is seen as detrimental to the state.

Burg states, 'What happens to him in the last couple of years is that he does not behave politically according to his wisdom. He behaves according to his political survival instinct rather than according to his ideology and philosophy.'